The Alternative
by TheMagicThatIsKath
Summary: The Borg hub explosion does more than get Voyager home it opens another reality. Janeway POV, AU, Post Endgame, and JC. CHAPTER 4 IS FINALLY UP!
1. The Reaction, The Plan

_A/N – I hope you don't get confused on the whole time thing (it boggles me as it is) but being the J/Cer that I am, I just HAD to take a shot. Anyways..._

_Disclaimer – Um, yeah, don't own it. If I did, the show would still be on, duh._

I hesitantly attach an earring to my ear, watching my reflection carefully. There's a sharp bark at my side and I drop the other earring, looking down at the small creature that emitted the sound. "No need to worry old girl. It's just going to be a few hours, and then I'll be home." The dog barks again, twice this time. "Oh don't be ridiculous. I wouldn't go if I didn't have to."

_: Incoming message for Kathryn Janeway. :_

"Wonder who that could be," I say, placing the earring into its rightful lobe and walking into my office nearby. The numerous PADDs scattered everywhere clutter the room, along with several books slumped on the floor. I manage to find my computer and tap a key to open the channel. "Chakotay, what a surprise."

"Kathryn, you look absolutely beautiful. I take it you're going to the reunion tonight?"

"Of course, aren't you?" I smile at his compliment.

"Possibly. Ani isn't taking too kindly to her first pregnancy."

"I hadn't heard," I say, my smile fading slightly. "When is she due?"

"Two more months. It's going to be a girl."

"I suppose congratulations are in order then," I say.

"I hoped you wouldn't consider it a duty, but thank you."

It falls silent for a moment, but I refuse to let this be hard. "Well if I don't leave soon, I'll miss my transport. I really hope you can make it."

"If not, I was hoping you and I could get together sometime. Catch up over the past year."

"I'd like that," I say, swallowing hard. "I'll see what my schedule is like and call you tomorrow evening."

Chakotay nods slowly. "I'll speak with you then. Good bye."

"Bye," I say, keeping the forced smile, as I close the channel. I feel winded suddenly, as if all air had been knocked out of me. "Pregnant," I whisper. The word suddenly has a new meaning added to it, leaving a bitter sensation on my mind. My dog barks in the doorway, shaking me from my thoughts of Chakotay and Seven. "I know, I know. I have an hour, but you can't blame me. You don't know the Commander like I do." I stand up and walk back into my bedroom where my evening dress lay. It's a periwinkle blue, spaghetti-strapped dress that meets my toes perfectly. I smooth a hand over it. Another bark startles me and I turn with a frown. "What is wrong with you tonight, girl? You haven't acted like this since you were a puppy." The dog barks again and I kneel down, picking the cocker spaniel up gently. I scratch behind my pet's ears. From the corner of my eyes, I can see a blue light reflect off the walls briefly before disappearing, and I turn to see a young man in a command uniform, and in his mid-twenties with soft jet black hair and piercing blue eyes. I hesitate momentarily at the unknown man, but there's a feeling of a previously established relationship.

"Kathryn Janeway," he says with a smile. "You look dashing."

"Pardon my bad memory, but have I met you before?"

"Well... in a sense, yes. I am your son."

I squint as I set my pet down and walk toward the man. "Just who do you think you are, beaming into my quarters and saying such a thing?"

"My name is Edward Owen Janeway and I need your help."

"My help? With what?"

"You might want to sit down. You're not going to like it."

"I'm just fine standing, now tell me why you need my help," I say, shifting my weight around to my other foot.

"I know you have a thing with the temporal prime directive, but it's not you that's breaking it here. It's me. But it's for my life. You see, when you caused the Borg transwarp hub to explode on your way back to the Alpha Quadrant, you tore open a portion of temporal space. Alternate universes were created, and the one I'm apart of is starting to fade. And I can't let that happen."

"How did you get here?"

"The timeship Relativity contacted our Voyager and informed us what had happened. They asked for someone to come back and repair the timeline, because if they didn't stop the other you from destroying the hub, then they too would be erased. We had no idea of what they were speaking about, we'd never heard of the Borg, but I volunteered to lend a hand after they explained our existence would seize."

"Forgive me, but I'm not following you."

"You're going to have to come with me. You have to stop your former self from listening to your future self so that my time can coexist with your own."

I briefly pause, getting easily lost in the whole past and future time confusion. "Why didn't Braxton just contact me?"

"He didn't think you'd respond too well with him because of the last time you two had met. He wanted someone you could trust to come, and suggested you, but you were... are... dead."

"I'm what?" I ask, obviously not hearing him correctly.

"The temporal wave that Braxton used to stop and contact us with was too strong. Right now the Relativity is relatively miscalculating many things, and the force exerted killed twenty crewmen. He tried to repair the misdeed, but since the timeline was already deteriorating, he couldn't."

"You do realize if I do agree to help you that it rewrites history. Tuvok will die from his mental disorder, and Seven will not have her child, to name a few things."

"Who?"

"Seven. Seven of Nine. Annika Hansen."

"I'm sure she's probably just a minor difference in our timelines."

"You can't just erase people. I liberated her from the Borg Queen! Are you saying that none of this will happen?"

"I can't say anything for sure right now. For now though, you need to come with me to the Relativity. Perhaps Braxton can put it into your terms since I'm not easily following you either."

"But I have to attend the one year anniversary of Voyager's return tonight. Surely someone will notice my absence and discover me missing."

"Voyager's home?" Edward asks breathless, eyes shimmering. "No matter," he says, briskly shaking his head. "It cannot wait. Perhaps Braxton can pull a few strings and delete your reservation to the anniversary."

I eye him for a moment, dying to know more about his future, but hesitating to change my own. I'd always wanted children, and if the young man before me could possibly be me son, I couldn't just turn my back on him. "Alright. Let's go."

Edward smiles, flashing brilliant dimples as he tapped his combadge. "Janeway to Braxton. Two to beam up."

The room comes into view, but it wasn't as I had remembered it. It is tattered, as if attacked unexpectedly, and there are many apparent damages all over the Bridge.

"Good of you to join us, Captain."

"Before this goes any further, I want a better description of what's going on. Why is this alternate timeline fading, and what can I do to stop it from doing so?"

"Both valid questions and they will be answered in time. Right now, I have to erase a Mr. Chakotay's memory of a previous conversation, and a Mr. Barclay's memory of a reservation. It may take a good fifteen minutes though; things are running a bit slowly. Perhaps you can get our guest something to drink, Eddie."

"Certainly. Right this way, mo-- Captain," Edward says with a choked voice, ushering me to the Turbolift. I hesitate briefly but nod, and enter the Turbolift. "Deck seven." The lift begins moving, and the silence that ensues is filled with tension that can be sliced with a hypospanner. Once on the proper deck, Edward leads the way to the desolate and dark Mess Hall where there are only a few tables, being that the ship is so small, and a window that is filled with stars and part of Earth. I smile as I approach the window, gazing out at my home. Edward watches me as he goes over to the counter and pours two mugs of coffee. He picks up the filled containers and goes to stand next to me. "Coffee, black," he says with a small smile, handing it to me.

"Some things will never change," I say, sipping the beverage thankfully. I really need it right now since my mind is refusing to quiet down. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Only if you really want to hear the answer. It'll probably break the temporal prime directive."

"Am... was I good mother to you?"

"Yes, to me and Shannon both."

Two. I have two children. The sentence in my head sounds so profound, but my heart leaps at the opportunity. "How old are you two?"

"Are you sure you really should be asking this?"

"I'd like to know," I say, bringing my drink to my lips briefly.

"I'm 24, and Shannon's 23. To be honest, neither of us was expected."

"Many things in the Delta Quadrant aren't," I say. It grows quiet for a moment as he seems to look at me with those eyes of my own. It's as though I'm really gone and he's finally getting to see a ghost of me or something. "You've never seen Earth, have you?

"Not in real life, no," Edward says, sipping his drink nervously. He doesn't really want to give too much away, knowing the possibility of his mother not getting home is now clearer. "Though you used to describe in detail what Indiana was like when I was a boy."

"It's a beautiful place. Lush farm hills that roll on for miles. It's really the only place I find peace some days, and I'm glad for my mother's simple company." I catch myself smiling as North America passes over in front of us, barely visible in the clouds.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"I suppose it's only fair," I say, holding my coffee close to my mouth, letting the aroma captivate me.

"Captain Braxton told me some of the events in your timeline, and I was just wondering... well... why did you give up on Chakotay?"

I swallow hard, but the lump that has gathered won't budge. "I never gave up on Chakotay. There are just certain lines that Captain and First Officer can't cross."

Edward laughs and shakes his head, turning and walking next to a table. He sets his coffee down. "It's funny you say that."

"Why?"

Suddenly, the comchannel breaks in. "Braxton to Ensign Janeway. If you could please show the Captain to the Bridge, I'm willing to try and explain what she must do now."

"Understood," Edward says. "Shall we?"

---

I stride on the Bridge, meeting Braxton halfway.

"I can speak with you in my Ready Room if you prefer a little privacy."

I nod, trying to ignore Edward's face sink.

"You have the Bridge, Ensign. Take it while you can," Braxton says.

"Thank you, sir," Edward says, walking to the Captain's seat and sitting in it. Braxton shows me to his ready room, and has a seat behind his desk. I remain standing since I really don't have the patience to remain still very long.

"Ask away, Kathryn," Braxton says, sitting back comfortably in his seat.

"Why is his timeline fading?"

"After the incident with the hub struck another universe up, the two began to fight for true existence. Sounds kinda hard to believe, but his duplicate reality began to try and overrun your own. And since truly only one can play out to the end, the one you currently reside in has... well... won. It's like a battle in a way."

"How long has it been in existence?"

"About twenty-five or so years ahead of your own, but with no Borg, they don't know as much as you do. It's remained parallel to your own since the beginning of time, and the only reason it was disturbed in the first place is because of the tear in space."

Feeling my knees weaken, I walk to a chair and sit down saying, "If it isn't one thing, it's another."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I can't get anywhere without 'disturbing' anything. The Caretaker, countless species, and now the hub."

"Though you did cause a massive explosion, I have a feeling that it wasn't you that allowed the other timeline to come into existence. You were, in essence, destroying the Borg Queen herself. My theory is that since the Borg does not exist in the other timeline, she used the explosion to her advantage and tore through time to outlive her lifespan."

"Interesting theory," I say, shifting in my seat. A life without the Borg would be paradise. "So tell me about this mission you want me to head up."

"It's not going to be easy, and in fact there are many things that could go wrong that we wouldn't be able to fix."

"Such as?"

"For one thing, it could all blow up in our faces and we would lose you, as well as the people in your timeline. You could also merge timelines and become permanently transfixed into the other timeline. If this were to occur, the timeline you are in now would be lost instead. For some reason, you seem to be the key factor."

"Just how many timelines are there?"

"We've only detected two. Your own and Edward's, but you must understand, our sensor readings are limited. The hub explosion has also affected us greatly, as I'm sure you observed on the Bridge."

"Indeed," I say. "Sorry for side-tracking you. The mission?"

"You are to go back just before your future self arrives and tries to convince your former self to use the hub. Hopefully we can get you there before she arrives and you'll miss her completely, but you'll have to work fast. You need to stop Voyager from destroying the hub, and continue the full journey. Now if your future self does interfere, I'm afraid that you'll have more trouble than we can handle. Too many crossing timelines would result a number of scenarios, none of them positive. This is when you could be transferred into the other timeline."

"What happens if I stop myself in time?" I ask, though my head is spinning with confusion.

"We'll be able to adjust the timelines and both can coincide without disturbing each other. Our ship won't be damaged, and we'll be able to beam you back to your time."

"But if I succeed, and then return, wouldn't my time have changed?"

"Obviously so. Though I'd be able to remain in contact with you long enough to straighten out your new life."

"I'm not sure if I'm up for rewriting history," I say. "I could erase little things that could lead up to eventual big things. I can't just take matters into my own hands just because an existence that I'll never know is fading."

"If the other timeline fades completely away, then so will the timeship Relativity. The effects from merely that would alter your past and all our previous assignments."

"So in other words, any way this goes, time will be changed."

"You can change it for the better, or for the worse."

"If I were to end up in the other timeline, when would that be, and would I know everything of that timeline? Would there be two of me?"

"I can't answer any of these questions because to be honest, I really don't know."

I sigh as I slump back in my chair. "I still don't fully understand this, but I have a feeling that if I don't do anything that it will not be pretty back in my time."

"Indeed. Our previous encounter and the Relativity's existence as a whole would tremendously effect your current time."

"Alright then. Let's get this over with."

_I need some reviews for this one to work - those of you good with time stuff, let me know if I screwed up!_


	2. Same Faces, New People

_Okay, in response to all the reviews major –yay-, I've already had this completed for a while. It does leave a lot of the same questions, and probably raises a few more, but you know, that's the fun of anticipation! Review in the same manner! Flames are welcomed, but with this evil guard dog at ready –grooooowl- That's right, Fluffy!_

"There is no evidence that the cube detected us," Tuvok says.

"Where is it now?" Chakotay asks.

"Approximately three light-years away," Seven says, showing the senior staff on the screen.

"How can they not have seen us? We came within ten meters of their hull," Tom says somewhat exasperated.

"The Borg would not knowingly risk a collision. The radiation must have interfered with their sensors as well as ours," Tuvok suggests with a slightly raised brow.

"If they can't detect us, we should go back," Harry says with the usual hopeful twinkle in his eye.

"I would not recommend it. My analysis of the tritanium signatures suggests there were at least 47 Borg vessels inside the nebula," Seven says, allowing the signatures to light up orange on the screen next to the orange blip of the ship they almost hit.

"We can't just give up on those wormholes!" Harry says, pleadingly.

"Oh yes we can," Kathryn says firmly, turning to Harry.

Harry struggles to reply. "What if we tried to modify the-"

"Sorry, Mr. Kim. You may be the captain someday, but not today," Janeway says. She briefly glances about the room, her eyes landing on every face. "Dismissed." The other senior officers begin trailing slowly out, but Kathryn and Harry stay. "Harry I understand you want us to get home. You should understand that I want that too, I really do."

"Then why are you dismissing this so quickly?" Harry asks in the same pleading tone.

"The Borg is not one to be dealt with lightly. The risk of assimilation is too high, and to chance the crew's life like that would be wrong."

"You're the Captain though-"

"And a good Captain would want what's best for her crew. Even if it means not getting home today."

Chakotay cut in on the comchannel. "Bridge to Janeway. We're detecting some temporal readings. It's possibly a ship."

Without another word, Kathryn walks onto the Bridge, Harry following after her and making his way to his console. "Where?" she asks.

"The reading is extremely sporadic. Harry, try to focus it," Chakotay says.

"Something's just beamed aboard," Harry says, his eyes trying to believe what he's reading.

"Location?"

"Your Ready Room," Harry replies. "It's a lifesign. It's... it's you." Chakotay looks over at Kathryn.

"How can that be?" Kathryn asks.

"I'm not sure, Captain," Harry says, quite shocked at his own readings. "The computer is reading two Kathryn Janeway lifesigns at this time."

"Only one way to find out," Chakotay says, nodding towards her door.

"As your Chief Security officer, it would be logical that I-"

"If it's just me, I should be able to handle it, Tuvok."

All eyes fall on the door, as if _it_ might come out any moment now. Kathryn walks slowly to the door, and it opens at her presence. She looks about the room before she enters, and all seems normal. She steps in and the doors close. Suddenly a hand clasps over her mouth.

"Don't panic, it's just me. Or rather, just you," I say. I release her and allow her to spin around in shock. We appear nearly identical since there's only a year between us. Though I am in my casual clothing rather than a uniform.

"How-"

"Temporal prime directive."

Chakotay's voice comes over the com. "Bridge to Captain Janeway. We're reading another temporal anomaly off our port bow."

"Damn it," I mutter. "She's here already."

"Who?" Kathryn says in confusion.

"The future, future you. I'm from one year in your future, she's much further along. It's best I stay here while you take care of things." The ship shakes and Kathryn hesitates momentarily, but realizes the intensity of the situation and leaves.

"Captain?" Chakotay asks as she comes back out.

"Report," Kathryn says, standing in front of her seat.

"I am detecting nadion discharges on the other side of the rift," Tuvok reports.

"Weapons fire?" Chakotay asks, bringing it up on the console between him and the Captain.

"It is possible. The signature appears to be Klingon," Tuvok says, raising a slight brow.

"Red alert," Kathryn says, sitting down as the lights dim.

"There's a vessel coming through the rift," Tuvok says.

"Klingon?" Chakotay asks with urgency.

"No, Federation," Tuvok says, his brow rising even higher.

"We're being hailed," Harry says.

"On screen," Kathryn says, looking from Harry to the viewscreen.

"Recalibrate your deflector to emit an anti-tachyon pulse. You have to seal that rift."

"Do it," Kathryn says, noticing the gawking Bridge staff as they stare at an aged version of their Captain. For _some_ reason, she isn't as surprised. The rift sealed. "I did what you asked. Now tell me what the hell is going on."

"I've come to bring Voyager home."

---

Kathryn walks into her Ready Room to me sipping a cup of coffee in a seat in front of her desk.

"She's here, isn't she?" I ask.

"She's on her way down here. You two have a lot of explaining to do," Kathryn says, pouring herself a mug of coffee from her desk as she sits down. "So tell me why you're here?"

"I'm here to stop her from making you do something that will succeed, but only for a year."

The doors open and Admiral Janeway stares shocked into the room. She steps in and the doors closed behind her. "It almost seems silly to ask, but who are you?" she says, as both of the other women stand.

"Captain Kathryn Janeway. Though I'm from the year 2379. I've been sent by Captain Braxton to stop you from making her destroy the hub." It seems almost insane the way I'm talking about myself.

"But she has to, it will get her home," Admiral Janeway says, stepping forward with firmness.

"It will tear a rift open in space that will cause an alternate reality to surface and fade. And if it fades away, then so will the timeship Relativity."

"It would disrupt the balance of time," Kathryn muses aloud.

I turn from the Admiral to the Captain of myself. "You can't destroy the hub. And though it will take you longer to get home, it will be worth it."

"You can't wait that long," Admiral Janeway says. "You will lose so many crewmen in the process."

"It would change life on Earth as we know it. The Relativity is badly damaged, and it wouldn't be able to stop itself from being destroyed," I say, realizing my fight will have to be more with the Admiral than the Captain.

Harry suddenly breaks into the conversation. "Bridge to Captain Janeway. We're being hailed by the timeship Relativity. They've asked to speak to all three of you. I'm not sure what that means."

"Braxton," I say, walking out onto the Bridge mechanically, realizing that we haven't much time if I am to get out of here and still survive in my own timeline.

"A little change of wardrobe, Captain?" Tom asks as he sees me.

"I-" The door opens and the other two of me, which is odd just to think about, file out, giving me quite a look. I never knew I could look so menacing. "Open the channel," I say. Harry eyes look as though they may pop out.

"Do it, Ensign!" his commanding officer snaps. Braxton appears on the screen.

"Kathryn, we're doing everything we can to get you back here. The timelines are merging. We're going to be erased, but we have to get you out of there before-" A blinding light fills the screen. I shield my eyes and suddenly the ground below me rocks violently. I crumble to my knees where everything turns to darkness.

Jolt.

"Captain!"

Dazed thoughts.

Smeared into one long blur.

"I'll stay here, Chakotay. Tom, you go."

"Chakotay to Sickbay, medical emergency. Beam the Captain and me to Sickbay."

Words are smudged into one long syllable.

Bright light. Fades.

"What's...?"

I can say no more, my body is like jelly; my head is sloshing everything together.

"We were just having a few drinks, and suddenly she was jolted back. I don't understand, what's going on Doctor?"

"Captain, can you hear me?"

I don't know, can I? It's like I can't tell if I'm in a dream, or actually awake. What the hell was that light on the Bridge? ... Braxton, damn it, he did something. He pushed some configuration in, and I was... or was I... transported. Home?

"Commander, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"I'm not moving an inch, Doctor."

"I can't work with you hovering over her body; you're going to need to step aside."

"You'll do your work and leave me where I am, Doctor, or I'll rip you apart!"

Swish. Doors? Or am I outside? Damn, why is everything so fuzzy?

"Chakotay?" I mumble.

"I'm right here, Kathryn. I'm right here," he says, and I feel his fingers slide through mine. His palms are sweaty and warm.

My mind scrambles, trying to put together the pieces, I'm so confused. Me? Confused? When has that happened recently? Wait, Edward. Where is he, did he beam aboard? Wait, wait, wait... the Borg, they must have... no... we would have detected them. I don't know... but I can't not know. I have to make something of it.

Hiss.

"Relax, Captain..."

"Tom?" I manage to say, recognizing his voice.

"I'll be right here..."

The world melts away.

Everything falls limp inside me, but my mind is begging for me not to give in. I have to find out what's going on, now. Now, now... now... now... now...

---

I stir slowly, keeping my eyes closed for just a moment while I feel my surroundings. Chakotay's hand is still in mine, and as I open my eyes, the fuzzy world begins to ebb away. Though this thundering headache seems to liven up all too easily. I take baby steps, and sit up. My body is sore, and somewhat numb. Chakotay is asleep at my side, his soft hair along my hand.

"Captain, are you alright?" I turn at the quiet voice.

"Yes, Doctor," I reply shakily. Because truth be told, I'm far from alright. I'm supposed to be back at home, in bed, waking up from this nightmare. Or at least on the floor of my apartment with Braxton hovering over me, ready to explain and apologize for the mishap. The Doctor runs the tricorder over me.

"It seems whatever disturbed you earlier left no residue or presence behind." He snaps the tricorder shut. "You seem perfectly well by my standards. Though you do look a little pale, are you feeling nauseous?"

"No, I'm just..." I take a deep breath and look at him. "Are we still in the Delta Quadrant?"

He looks at me with an inquisitive look. "Maybe you hit your head harder than I thought..."

"Just answer me, yes or no?"

"Of course we are Captain."

"How long?"

"Captain, I-"

"Doctor, I'm not going to go into a discussion about any of this. Now just answer my questions."

"Eight years," he replies, running his hands over the tricorder.

"Eight," I whisper in disbelief. "Then the hub..." I pause as Chakotay stirs, his fingers flexing around my own.

"Kathryn, you're alright," he says, half-awake as he sits up.

"I pronounced that not too long ago, though I'm starting to doubt it-"

"I'm fine, Doctor," I say quickly. Chakotay looks me over with his own scanning eyes, and they can tell much more than a tricorder ever could. "What time is it?" I ask, tearing myself away from him. There's a new feeling with Chakotay, but there seems to be a lot of new things already.

"0300 hours, give or take," the Doctor replies, tapping something on a PADD.

"You said you couldn't detect anything wrong with me, so can I go to my quarters?"

He sighs. "I have no reason to hold you here."

"Thank you for your work, Doctor," Chakotay says, helping me stand up. The room seems to spin for a moment, but I only trip vaguely, and it goes unnoticed.

"Yes, thank you," I say. I withdraw my hand from Chakotay's, and he seems slightly confused at this, but I just walk out the doors. The familiar dull corridors greet me with their bland gray grimace.

"Kathryn?"

I turn around. "What is it, Chakotay?"

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"I'd rather not talk about it tonight. It's been a rough evening." I continue walking, and he catches up to me as I enter the Turbo Lift. I go to order my deck, but he says it just before I do, which leaves me to boggle at him. "I can walk myself to my quarters, Commander," I say, trying to hide my present confusion.

"I didn't say you couldn't," he says. Seconds later, he steps off, and I follow him now. He pauses at my doorway, waiting for me. "You're sure-"

"If I'm asked one more time, I'm going to start doubting it myself," I say, unlocking the doors. "Goodnight, Command-"

"Oh thank God you're alright, Captain."

I turn around to see Tom carrying a baby over his shoulder, and this isn't a.. very happy baby.

"Here, I'll take him," Chakotay says, stepping in the room and lifting the bundle from Tom. "Ah, there's my boy.." he says, lifting him high in the air before bringing him down and on his shoulder.

"B'Elanna went back a few hours ago with Miral. I was just making sure Voyager's newest addition was treated as such. A shame she doesn't care for her Uncle Tom's lullabies."

I just stand, blankly staring at the scene. My thundering headache seems to fade away in this massive confusion. It's only a year, I tell myself, only one. But think, with no Borg... so much more would have happened in the previous seven that I thought I knew.

Chakotay nods. "Thank you, Tom. Get a good nights rest, and we'll see you in the morning."

"Good night, Chakotay. Kathryn," he says, nodding to me before he leaves. I step into my quarters slowly, not taking my eyes off of the baby and Chakotay. If it was Tom's, he would have certainly taken it with him, and wouldn't have called himself 'Uncle Tom' in reference to his own son. This only leads me to believe... My brain and heart fall to my toes. There's... there's just no way.

"You go ahead and get ready for bed. I'll put Eddie down and be in a minute."

"I think we need to talk about what happened tonight."


	3. When Time Collides

Sorry for the long wait for an update. My laptop crashed with a virus, and I have been working a summer job lately. So, here's a small filler chapter, but I will write more later on.

The room is full of chatter and laughter, with a light classical background music that can be heard through any gaps of conversation. Banners of every Federation hang from the ceiling, proudly displaying their colors. Chakotay looks around the room, a glass of champagne in his hand, uncomfortably adjusting his dress uniform, but she is nowhere to be found. _Certainly she didn't stay at home, this would have been so important to her._

"Commander Chakotay!"

Chakotay turns at the call of his name, smiling when he sees Reg Barclay cutting through the crowd towards him. When he finally approaches Chakotay, he extends his hand and shakes Chakotay's vigorously.

"Commander, it is such an honor to finally meet you in person," Reg says, an ear-to-ear smile painted firmly on his face. "I was hoping to run into you though," he says, his smile fading. "I never received a reply from the Captain."

Chakotay sighs at this, though tries to remain chipper. "I'm sure she's just looking to make a grand entrance."

"Highly unlikely. I went to her apartment, and she was nowhere to be found. Did she contact you about leaving on a vacation or for a conference?"

"No, we haven't spoken since we disembarked and were debriefed."

Reg sighs shortly, seemingly growing more and more panicky. "This is highly irregular, the ceremony is about to start."

Suddenly, there was a scream from the other side of the room. Both men turn to the sharp sound, but are suddenly engulfed in a pale blue wave that ripples throughout the hall.

After the wave passes, there is no trace of any ceremony, just a hollow gigantic room.


	4. Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Well I hope you've all enjoyed your break from this story, now it's back to work for you! R&R! 

Chakotay sighs, folding his hands as his gaze falls to the floor and his posture slumps as if weight has been added. I sit rigidly, not wanting to push him, but watch to gauge his reaction. It's as though I can see the gears rotating behind his eyes, trying to come up with a solution. _Just like old times…_"I'd be lying if I told you that I understand all of this," he says after a long moment, almost startling me from my own thoughts. "But you've never lied to me, and I'd like to think you never would, despite timeline differences."

"I would never lie to you, Chakotay," I say, my voice low, as my hand reaches out and strokes his cheek. I quickly withdraw it, feeling awkward at the close gesture. "I'm sorry.. I-"

"Don't apologize," he says, taking my hands into his own, and then looking down them. I watch as he stares at them for an elongated moment, then look at our hands to see what has caught his attention.

"What is it, Chakotay?"

"Your wedding ring is missing," he says, a light sad laugh escaping his throat. "On our wedding day, you told me you'd never take it off. And for the past three years, you've been imprisoned, captured, lost, and even dead a few times," he sighs as he stands up, dropping my hands, "but it never left your hand."

"Chakotay-" I start, standing and laying a hand on his shoulder.

"No, I'm sorry, Kathryn- Captain," he sighs, growing frustrated. "Look, I just need some time to think this through."

"I think we both do," I respond, trying to sound as comforting as possible. "I'm going to go take a walk around, clear my mind. I believe there are some vacant crew quarters on deck 13."

"Please, these are your quarters," he says kindly, gesturing around the room.

"Believe me," I sigh. "These are no more my quarters than deck 13."

---

Every centimeter of carpet, every bland gray wall, down to the last bulkhead, is the same as I last remember of Voyager. The corridors are empty, due to the fact it's still too early for anyone not on duty to be roaming the hallways, and my footsteps seem to resound.

"_We come to honor those who have returned, and those who have fallen." Admiral Paris looks up from the PADD in front of him. "To those who have returned from this treacherous journey, we offer our congratulations and utmost pride. It takes a brave person to travel such a vast distance with no hope in sight." A shuttered breath leaves him as he gathers a fresh one. "To those of the crew of the USS Voyager who have passed, we offer our condolences to all who are suffering. The Delta Quadrant was a rugged terrain, a vast spectacle of unknown wonder and danger."_

"Captain, you're up early!"

I smile, having absently wondered into the Mess Hall where the smiling Talaxian greets me. "Good morning, Neelix. You're up awfully early yourself," I say, taking a seat on a barstool as he scuttles about the galley, cooking various foods.

"A good meal sleeps for no one, Captain," he says, distractedly as he flips what appear to be blue pancakes over in a saucer. "I'm always here this early, making breakfast. You know that, you drop by most mornings."

"Really?" I say automatically.

"Little Edward sleeps for no one either," he says, a delighted chuckle following as he sets down his cooking utensils and glances over at me. "So what's the little tyke up to tonight?"

"The… usual," I say, now regretfully remembering the timeline variance. For a moment, I seemed at home, and completely forgot that the Kathryn Janeway he knows is God knows where. Erased? Displaced?

"Oh you say that as if I don't listen," Neelix says, wiping down the counters before tossing the towel over his shoulder. "Well, Captain, I know a test when I see one."

I lift my brow, both excited and curious at the Talaxian's words. "Alright. Fail me not, Neelix."

"Well," Neelix says, pausing his cooking and leaning on the counter in deep thought. "Most nights he's just fussy. Tensions between you and the Commander have been kind of high lately, and it only worsens when he wakes you two up. You said yourself that most of the time Edward just lolls back to sleep while you and Chakotay argue over futile matters."

"Sounds dreadful," I muse aloud.

"Bound to happen if you ask my opinion," Neelix sighs. "You two work so close together during the day that it's only natural for you to bring some issues home, especially if you have opposing views." There is a quiet moment, one of my own reflections and Neelix's fear of trespassing too far into my privacy. The sound of breakfast sizzling in the back, and Neelix pardons himself to tend to the blue pancakes, humming a tune while he does so.

I stand, walking to the door, and pausing briefly to reflect on the Mess Hall. Even in the pale evening light, I can vividly remember the parties and lunches had here. Ghosts of crew sitting at the tables, excited chatter filtering the room fill my imagination as I gaze at the empty tables. With a pat to the open doorway frame, I quietly excuse myself to continue my mindless meanderings.

Another few meters down the hall and I find the quarters that I had pulled up on the LCARS system in the hallway opposite of my usual quarters. The room is starkly decorated with a set of bunk beds, a desk, a replicator and a small unfilled closet. "Just like the Al-Batani," I ponder aloud as I sit down on the stiff mattress, pounding it lightly with a curled fist. A sigh of reality sets in and I absently go through my old nightly cadet routine of getting ready for bed, thoughts clouded by the evening's events. After successfully replicating pajamas and a uniform for tomorrow, I sit back on the lower bunk bed with a cup of my usual poison of choice, coffee; black. My gaze rests on the uniform, as I imagine the next day's events that will take place while wearing that uniform. The thought of me seemingly being improperly placed in the uniform lingers in my mind, seeing as I have no right to captain a ship that I am completely foreign to, in a sense. The coffee is once again stale, no longer the rich brew of which I had grown casually accustomed to on Earth. Hardly finishing half the cup, I simply call for lights out and attempt to call it a day.

---

The alarm sounds too soon, but I groggily obey, wiping the sleep from my eyes as I robotically move to the sonic shower. It isn't until I feel the cleansing rays that everything comes piling back into my mind, the weight almost physically overwhelming. Leaning against the blue light, I sigh in frustration. Do I resume the life I supposedly formerly lead here, or do I focus all my efforts into returning into what is probably already erased? The shower automatically shuts off and I wrap up in a robe, making way to my coffee giver before sitting down and continue thinking. Suppose I did integrate myself into the crew? It could never be the same; I would never be in the inside of old jokes, or know any of past missions. I could read over logs, past data collected over the years. What about Chakotay and his family – _our_ family? That in itself compels a force of its own.

As I glance over at the chronometer, I realize that I should probably dress and call for Chakotay. It wouldn't be wise for me to walk down the hallways alone, just for my own mental state-of-mind. My mind continues relentlessly the aching abuse of the thought of what I've done. Suppose I direct my efforts into mending the timelines? I'd have to do meticulous research on how exactly I damaged the timeline, followed by on a solution. Perhaps the Braxton of this timeline exists and after locating him and carefully explaining my predicament he could help strategize how to fix everything.

Suddenly, the bell to the quarters rings. "Enter," I say, sitting on the edge of my bunk, struggling to get my last boot on. "Commander," I greet. "Good morning."

"Morning," Chakotay replies, giving a small smile, though one more of frailty than true happiness. "I met with the senior officers in the conference room and explained to them as best I could what happened."

"What did they say?" I ask, distractedly going back over to my breakfast table and grabbing my luke-warm cup of coffee.

Chakotay sighs, walking over and sitting down heavily on my bunk. "They're confused," he sighs, scratching the back of his head. "To be honest, I'm confused, Kathryn."

Before I can make a reply, the ship suddenly shakes. We both share a furled brow, instantly walking out of the room at a high pace. "Are we in alien territory?" I ask as we board the turbolift. "Bridge," I say out of habit.

"Not that I knew of," Chakotay responds. "Are you sure you want to be out on the Bridge?"

"I could be of some assistance," I point out just before the doors open, showing the Bridge. During the walk to my chair, I feel my heart flutter like it used to when the red alert lights would flash, klaxons sounding. "Report," I demand, sitting down and pulling up the most recent reports. Names flash across the screen both familiar and foreign. The ship rocks again.

"Cloaked ship on a collision course," Harry said. "It came out of nowhere, and its design is not registered in the Federation database."

"On screen," I say, standing up. At sight of attacker, my heart stops. _Borg_.

"A box ship?" Tom asks with a laugh before the ship shakes him back into seriousness.

"Open a channel," Chakotay says. "This is Commander Chakotay of the Federation Starship Voyager. We mean you no harm. Please seize fire, I repeat, seize fire."

I step over to Chakotay who has stood as well. "Commander, what are you doing?" I whisper harshly. "Tom, get us out of here, highest warp."

"Warp drive is down," Tom replies back, working at his console fervently. "Full impulse is all I have. Engineering is reporting they can have warp 3 within the next few minutes if the shields hold out."

"Get us as far as possible. Tuvok," I say, turning to him.

"Shields down to 15 percent," he reports stoically as he holds on to the edge of his console at the brunt of another hit. "Ten percent, Captain."

"Tom, evasive maneuvers; Tuvok, launch a full spread of torpedoes, direct them at their weapons. Harry, transfer auxiliary power to Engineering."

"Captain," Chakotay says, stepping over to me as the three respond with 'Ayes'. "This is violating regulations."

"Chakotay, these are Borg!" I hiss over the sirens. "Diplomacy is not an option."

"Borg?" he says, his face screwed up in question. "Who are the Borg?"

It hits me: the Borg don't exist in their timeline. Seven is non-existent. All the defenses, discoveries and innovations have been erased. Cursing under my breath, I step down to Tom's console, putting a hand on his shoulder. "How are we doing?" I ask him.

"Warp drive is online. Engaging now," he says, working the console. Just as warp is engaged, there is a monumental explosion, knocking everyone to the floor. I struggle to stand, and lift a hand to my pulsing temple to feel an unusual dampness. As a green light floods the Bridge, I realize that it's blood.

"We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile."

There are a few grumbles as everyone stands back up or makes their way back to their seats, but mostly the sound of questioning tones. As I shield my eyes from the light, an idea strikes me; if there is only one Borg, and they have crossed from my own timeline to this one, they would know everything about us. But they wouldn't know that I knew anything of them.

"Harry, open a channel."

"Captain-" Chakotay starts to interject.

"This is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Starship Voyager. I'm curious, is the Borg Queen aboard your cube?" I ask snidely.

Tom swivels around and stares at his Captain, as does the rest of the confused Bridge crew.

Suddenly the screen dims, allowing everyone's squint to widen as the Borg queen appears. "Captain," she greets. "I have to admit, I had expected your composure to resemble that of your colleagues."

"I thought you would," I say lowly with a smirk. "But we've met before, your highness. And I defeated you then and I'll do it again." I wave my hand towards Harry, signaling him to end the transmission.

"I've tried reversing the shield polarity, but we're still being held in their tractor beam," Harry says.

"Shields are down, and the torpedo banks are fused. The only weapon option currently available are the phasers," Tuvok reports.

"Charge them and standby to fire them," I order, watching in horror as we inch closer to the cube. "Bridge to Engineering. How are we doing?"

"Anymore strain on the core, Captain, and I'm going to have to eject it. I'll have impulse engines in two, three hours at the least," B'Elanna replies.

"You've better got a hell of a plan," Chakotay growls under his breath to me.


End file.
